For two years I will be preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and serving the people in the area of the Salt Lake City East Mission! My mother has volunteered to post my letters and pictures on this blog so you can follow me. I have been preparing for my mission for 18 years by exercising faith and building a testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ and His amazing Gospel. Please email or write me if you have any questions or just want to talk!

Thursday, July 7, 2016

"The Switch Happened!"

July 4, 2016Dear Family,

“Woah woah woahhhhhhh oh
yeahhh-ahhh-ahhhhu haaa.” That’s the begging of 30 Pieces of Silver by Afa Garragain. It's stuck in my head. So
this week was super good. We met President and Sister Hillier and that's what
most of this letter will be about! They are awesome! For my impression of them, see the attached
picture below.

"My impression of President & Sister Hillier"

Monday we got a few e-mails from
the Eberhardts and had a normal p-day. They asked all of us to wear our mission
shirts. It was pretty cool. On Tuesday morning the switch happened! We went on
exchanges with the Assistants Tuesday evening to help with the Swahili area,
and Elder Thompson told me about the switch and everything and how exited he
was. Wednesday we met with them! We had three zones combined come to the
Holladay Stake Center to meet them. Sister Hillier actually spoke for most of
the time. They did a slideshow of their family so we could get to know them a
little better and then they had all of us meet them by companionship as we went
into the chapel. Sister Hillier is super outgoing and friendly and President is
more quiet but he is really loving! We met their son that is a RM (returned
missionary) going to BYU and their 17 year old son who is going to finish his
senior year here in SL. They both gave short talks and it was funny
because the 17 year old son kept having to correct himself for saying "you
guys." He looked back at his parents and said, “they told me I was
supposed to say "Elders and Sisters" not "you guys."”
President got up and talked to us about the power of the Book of Mormon and
used segments from the training for new mission presidents (you should watch
that by the way, it's so good!). He also told us that the spirit would
"quicken our relationship." It is so true and I have felt it already.
I have so much love for the Hilliers and I am exited that my Heavenly Father
has sent me to them.

Volunteering at the Fourth of July Breakfast at the MillcreekLion's Club event.

Here are some journal entries:

July 1, 2016

We met President Hillier and he
is awesome. He told a story of when he was on a speaking assignment with Elder
Bednar. At the end of his talk he gave an apostolic blessing upon everyone
there. After his talk and the closing prayer, he stood up after a few minutes
and went to the stand and revoked the blessing because of the irreverence in
the chapel.

June 29, 2016 8:38 AM

This morning I think I just heard
the voice of Grandma Venable. I was falling asleep during study (NOT GOOD) and
I heard "Brinton." It sounded like Grandma but a little different.
More sharp. She was keeping me in line.